Lighter-

Here's the whole thing, assuming I didn't get lost in the footnotes:

A Pilgrimage by Sea to Compostella

The manuscript containing this poem has been ascribed to the time of Henry VI (1422-1471). It is here printed from Furnivall's edition of The Stations of Rome (E.E.T.S. No. 25), pp. 261-264.

Men may leve alle gamys (1)
That saylen to Seynt Jamys, (2)
Ffor many a man hit gramys, (3)
When they begyn to sayle;
Ffor when they have take the see
At Sandwyche (4) or at Wynchylsee, (5)
At Brystow, (6) or where that hit bee,
Theyr hertes begyn to fayle.

Anone the mastyr commaundeth fast
To hys shypmen, in alle the hast, (7)
To dresse (8) hem sone about the mast,
Theyr takelyng to make;
With 'Howe! Hissa!' then they cry;
'What, howe! mate, thow stondyst to (9) ny,
Thy felow may nat hale (10) the (11) by';
Thus they begyn to crake. (12)

A boy or tweyn anone upstyen, (13)
And overthwart the sayle-yerde lyen.
'Y how! taylia!' the remenaunt cryen,
And pulle with alle theyr myght.
'Bestowe (14) the boote, (15) boteswayne, anon,
That our pylgryms may pley theron;
For som ar lyke to cowgh and grone
Or (16) hit be full mydnyght.'

'Hale the bowelyne! (17) now, vere the shete!'
Cooke, make redy anoon our mete;
Our pylgryms have no lust to ete,
I pray God yeve hem rest.'
'Go to the helm! what, howe! no nere!' (18)
'Steward, felow, a pot of bere!'
Ye shalle have, sir, with good chere,
Anon alle of the best.'

'Y howe! trussa! hale in the brayles! (19)
Tliow halyst nat, be God, thow fayles!'
O se howe wellc owre good shyp sayles!'
And thus they say among.
'Hale in the wartake!' (20) 'Hit shal be done.'
'Steward, cover the boorde anone,
And set bred and salt therone,
And tary nat to long!'

Then cometh oone and seyth: Be mery,
Ye shall have a storme or a pery.' (21)
'Holde thow thy pese! thow canst no whery, (22)
Thow medlyst wondyr sore.'
Thys menewhyle (23) the pylgryms ly,
And have theyr bowlys fast theym by,
And cry aftyr hote malvesy: (24)
'Thow helpe for to restore.'

And som wold have a saltyd tost, (25)
Ffor they myght ete neyther sode (26) ne rost;
A man myght sone pay for theyr cost,
As for oo day or twayne.
Som layde theyr bookys on theyr kne,
And rad (27) so long they myght nat se.
'Allas, myne hede wolle cleve on thre!'
Thus seyth another certayne.

Then commeth owre owner, lyke a lorde,
And speketh many a royall worde,
And dresseth hym to the hygh horde,
To see alle thyng be welle.
Anone he calleth a carpentere,
And byddyth hym bryng with hym hys gere. (28)
To make the cabans here and there,
With many a febylle (29) celle.

A sak of strawe were there ryght good,
Ffor som must lyge theym in theyr hood;
I had as lef (30) be in the wood,
Without[e] mete or drynk.
For when that we shall go to bedde,
The pumpe is (31) nygh oure beddes hede;
A man were as good to be dede
As smell therof the stynk.

Notes:

1. put aside all mirth, 2. Santiago de Compostella, in the province of Galicia, in northwestern Spain, 3. distresses, 4. north of Dover, 5. southwest of Dover, in Sussex, 6. Bristol, 7. all haste, 8. make ready, 9. too, 10. haul, 11. thee, 12. call aloud, 13. ascend, 14. dispose, 15. boat, l6. ere, 17. a rope made fast to the middle part of the outside of a sail, l8. nearer (no closer to the wind?), 19. small ropes fastened to the edges of sails, 20. ?, 21. squall, 22. ?, 23. in the meantime, 24. malmsey, 25. toast , 26 anything boiled, 27. read (?), 28. tools,, 29. slightly built, 30. lie , 31. MS. was

Cheerily,
Charley Noble